U.S. Justice Dept. should rule on BISD board within months

By Julie Chang

Published 8:00 am, Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Photo: TAMMY MCKINLEY

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BISD attorney, Melody Chappell presents a revised version of the redistricting map during the meeting at the BISD Administration Building in Beaumont, Thursday, April 19, 2012. Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise

BISD attorney, Melody Chappell presents a revised version of the redistricting map during the meeting at the BISD Administration Building in Beaumont, Thursday, April 19, 2012. Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise

Photo: TAMMY MCKINLEY

U.S. Justice Dept. should rule on BISD board within months

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Beaumont residents should know within the next couple of months if the U.S. Justice Department will approve the school district's proposed redistricting plans.

The agency must approve the redistricting plan, which would change the makeup of the school board from seven single-member districts to five single-member districts and two at-large seats, before the May 2013 election.

Melody Chappell, the school district's attorney, said that the district on Nov. 16 sent in all the additional information that the agency requested from them in early October. The Justice Department has 60 days from the time it received those documents to approve, reject or ask for additional information from the Beaumont school district.

The district sent in their initial redistricting proposal in early August. In October, however, the Justice Department came back and asked the district to submit data about city, school and county elections from 2002 to now to determine how redistricting will impact minority voting rights.

Specifically, the government agency wants to see how votes were cast in city and county elections that included a black candidate, Chappell said in an October interview.